Experiential learning was at the core of the new course, “Beginning practicum for sustainable food production,” offered for the first time this spring as part of the minor in sustainable food systems. April 23rd was a particularly special class day, during which students learned how to make and can jam! Before class, students were assigned to read the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and listen to an NPR story on the rising interest in home food preservation among younger generations. On the 23rd we held class in the Allen Hall kitchen, and in two and a half hours of semi-organized chaos (with no burns!) we prepared and canned 36 jars of jam. Students reflected afterward on the value of practical life skill development, something they find to be lacking in education overall, and shared how much they appreciated the integration of hands-on learning with “book learning” in the practicum course.
Dr. Sarah Cramer, Brown Teacher-Scholar Fellow in Sustainable Food Systems